Watercraft



| PLAZIAK April 14, 1 953 WATERCRAFT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 85E ww v w 3 NM QN NN Filed June 10, 1948 Lawrence P/azial:

' INVENTOR L. PLAZIAK April 14, 1953 WATERCRAFT 2. SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 10, 1948 Lawrence P/azia/r BY Maw, mwm

Patented Apr. 14, 1953 WATERCRAFT Lawrence Plaziak, Rice, Minn., assignor of onefifth to John Plaziak, one-fifth to Felix Plaziak, one-fifth to Ben Plaziak and one-fifth to Frank Plaziak, all of Rice, Minn.

Application June 10, 1948, Serial No. 32,072

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to boats and more particularly to a boat constructed largely from a .singlelsheet of metal and having novel prow and stern shapes.

:A primary object of this invention is to provide a:. boat *of. unitary construction having a stern in which the bottom of the boat is extended beyondra substantially vertical end plate, the extending portion being recessed adjacent a longitudinal center line of the boat to receive an intermediate portion of an outboard motor, the provision of these extending portions resulting in increased speed, and greater stability of the boat.-

Ancther objectvof this invention. ancillary to the preceding object, is to provide the extending portions ,at the stern of a boat, disposed rearwardly of the outboard motor mounted thereon, so that the prow of the boat is prevented from rising out of the Water any considerable distance even at greater speeds.

Still another object of this invention, is to providean improved stern construction for a boat which willenable very'slow speeds to be attained, even with the use of relatively powerful motors, the braking action of this stern construction being accentuated at slow speeds Stillanother object of this invention is to provide a'bbat construction'i-n which the prow is formed "from a single sheet of material cut with a pair of slots having each a straight edge on the side, adjacent the center line of the boat and a curved edge on the side of the slot remote from said center line, the said edges being seamed and the sheet bein bent along said center line.

And a last object to be mentioned specifically is to provide a boat which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, which is safe, simple and convenient to use, which has a dual advantage of facilitating the attaining of both very high and very low speeds of propulsion, and which will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the assembled boat;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the boat;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a sheet of material slotted and formed while flat and before being bent and seamed to comprise the boat; I Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview of the boat;

Figure 5 is a three dimensional view of the stern portion of the boat; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the boat,

the view being taken substantially on a transverse line mid-length of the boat.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical portions and elements throughout the specification and throughout the several views in the drawings. I

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this boat is constructed largely from a sheet of suitable metal such as commercially supplied aluminum, first formed as indicated in Figure 3 with an elongatedcentral portion it which becomes the bottom portions I2 of the boat when bent slightly along a longitudinal center line, that is, at the keel ill of the boat as indicatedin Figure 6.

The lateral portions it in Figure 3 become substantially dead-rise sides i8 01 the boat, and" a pair of laterally disposed slots each having an outwardly disposed curved edge 26 and an in-' wardly'disposed straight edge 22 are cut in the I streamlined prowis achieved, it being understood that .the sheetimaterial will also be first formed with a central slot having arcuate edges 28. The sheet will be bent along a longitudinal center line and the edges 28 will be seamed and reinforced by another plate 30. This plate 30 serves to join the corresponding substantially straight edge portions 32 between the slots and similar laterally disposed portions 32', to'comprise an upper prow portion 34 in the assembled boat. An outer prow reinforcing plate 35 may be secured in place by the same rivets as are used to fasten the plate Fill in place.

The lateral edges 36 of the tapered sheet of material are straight throughout the greater portions of their lengths but the angle or taper is increased near the larger end of the sheet, as at 38 in Figure 3. A deck plate 46 is secured to the portions 42 of these edges in the assembled boat.

Top rails 44 of channel form reinforce the upper edges of the sides of the boat, and sheer strakes 46 of any suitable form are secured to the sides of the boat. The stem includes a substantially vertical end plate 48 having attachment flanges 50 secured to the bottom and sides of the boat, and corner plates 52 having flanges secured to the top of the plate 48 and to the top of the adjacent portions of the sides of the boat.

The bottom and the sides of the boat are extended as at 54 and the extended portions have curved edges. A central recess 56 to receive an intermediate portion of an outboard motor, which is not illustrated, is provided adjacent the center line of theboat, the corresponding recess in the sheet .material being indicated :at 58 in Figure 3. The extending portions at 54 and the end plate 48 define a well at the stern of the boat. The vertical triangular plate braces 60am secured to the rear side of the plate 48 and to the extensions 54, these plate braces functioning as such in supporting saidextensions and ;end

plate and also functioning to give :better defin'i tion to those portions of the well at each side into oonterminous compartments. Blocks '62, preferably constructed of wood, are securedcem trally of the plate 48 fornttachment thereto of an outboard motor. .A complement of seats 64.. illustrated asotfec'hannel form. may .be rigidly securedto the sides of the boat and transversely thereof.

il'heaoperation of this invention will be -;clearly understood from theioregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recitation :of theobjects sou ht to be achieved by this invention. and the accom- D nyin drawings. .In recapitulation, .itzmayilce stated that an operatonofthe boatseated upon the rearmost seat 64 may drivetheboatat .high speeds without causing the raising of the ;prow por tion of the boatv any considerable distance out of the Water. Conversely, when the speed of the motor is reduced to a minimum, thewell formed at the rear of the end plate, at both :sides of the outboard motor, acts as a Very .effectivebrake, the well filling nearly completely with water when the weightin the boatis concentrated near he stern thereof. It will .be clear how the instant invention achieves all the objects recited above, all without sacrificing maneuverability.

Obviously many minor variations may be made in the exact construction and proportionment of thevarious elements of this .invention without departure from the spirit and scope thereof.

' and at the stern of the boat, by dividing the well Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A metal boat having a hull including sides and a bottom, an end plate closing the stern of said boat, said hull extending beyond the rear of said end plate and terminating at a distance from said end plate, the hullextensionhaving a notch in the central portion thereof andlterniinating in curved edges, said notch terminating adjacent the center of the bottom of said end ,.plate, spaced triangular braces mounted on said hull extension and engaging said end plates thereby dividing the .hull extension intoconterminous compartments and serving as guiding fins.

-2."T'he"combinaticn of claim 1, wherein said hull isaof one piece construction.

3. A substantially rectangular blank adapted to form the hull of a boat, one end of said blank being provided at the edge with spaced notches, one :along the longitudinal- :center time toftsaid plate and one spaced at each side cream-center line, the edges defining rthezcentral :notch :being uniformly outwardly curved 56mm thefapextof "the notch, the inner edges .tlcfinin h finned Accordingly, this inventiontshould be limited onlyin accordance with a proper interpretation of the terminology used in the :subjoinedclaims.

notches being straightiand the outeredges bein uniformly outwardly :fiared whereby uponihending of :the :Dlate along the longitudinal: center line-the notched ed es pn eitherrside of he new -ter line will be adjacent onewanother thereby forming the .prow of the boat. r

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES P-ATENTS Number 11$Iarne Date 1,0011601 Andrews. Mimi... Aus. :29, -1911 1,794,985 Hall 1 Mar. 3, 1931 1,805,812 .DeWllit in"... May 19, 1.931 1,868,280 Elling Jilly. .19, I932 1,917,3 7 Hall --.1u1y.l1, {-1933 2,064,927 fL gen'horst .etal. "Dec...'22, .1936. 2,183,892 'Gorden Mar, '19, 19.40 2,220,875 Barker 'etzal. Nov. 12,1940 2,312,722 'Lermont ..Mar.2,.1943 I FOREIGN. PATENTS Number- -'Country Date 393,767 Great Britain June '15, 1.933 

